Snickerdoodle Cake

Taken from here

Snickerdoodle Cake

Solid vegetable shortening for greasing the pans
flour for dusting the pans
1 pkg 18.25 oz plain white cake mix (not the kind w/pudding in the mix)
1 cup whole milk (don't use skim or low fat or it can come out dry)
8 Tbsp (1 stick) real butter, melted
3 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tsp ground cinnamon
Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting--recipe follows

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare pans by generously greasing and flouring two 9-inch round cake pans. Set the pans aside.

2. Sift the cake mix, and add milk, melted butter, eggs, vanilla, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Blend with electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more. The batter should look well combined. Divide the batter between the prepared pans, smoothing it out with a rubber spatula. Place the pans in the oven side by side.

3. Bake the cakes until they are golden brown and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 27 to 29 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place on wire racks to cool for 10 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edge of each layer and invert each onto a rack, then invert them again onto another rack so that cakes are right side up. Allow them to cool completely, at least 30 minutes.

Cook's Tip: Pop the cake layers into the freezer if you have room. It only takes about 1/2 hour or so to freeze fairly firm. The cake will be much easier to frost with fewer crumbs.

4. Prepare the Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting recipe and frost cake.

5. Place this cake in the refrigerator, uncovered, until the frosting sets, about 20 minutes.

Cook's Note: You can make this recipe in 2 8-inch square pans, frosted them as individual cakes, served one, and freeze the other (wrapped in foil, for several months). Just thaw it over night in the fridge then serve.


Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting

Makes enough to frost a two layer cake thinly. If you like frosting (this is good frosting!), double this recipe.

1/2 C (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temp
3 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
3 to 4 Tbsp milk or 1/2 and 1/2 or cream
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp coconut extract (don't worry, won't taste coconutty - just good!)
1 tsp good ground cinnamon like makara (or a pinch more, to taste)

Blend butter in a large mixing bowl on low speed until fluffy (about 30 seconds). With mixer stopped, add confectioners' sugar, milk, vanilla, and coconut extract. Blend on low speed until well incorporated (about a minute). You may have to stop once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add cinnamon. Increase the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy (another minute or two more). Blend in up to another 1 Tablespoon milk if it's too stiff (can vary with the weather)